The present invention relates generally to communication with and calibration of precision agricultural sensors used on agricultural field equipment. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus for transmitting calibration data from a testing laboratory to sensors on agricultural field equipment, such as harvesting equipment, so that the sensors may more accurately determine agricultural properties and sensor performance can be verified. Some systems of the present invention allow a broker or other parties to obtain calibration data from an independent laboratory and provide that data to farmers who will be selling crops through that broker or other parties thereby allowing the broker or other parties to maintain quality control and identity preservation of agricultural products.
Traditionally, farmers have harvested their crops and transported the harvest to a storage facility from which a broker transacts a sale of the crops. Generally, the crop is analyzed at the storage facility to determine its quality or other characteristics. Some buyers may specify requirements, such as discrete chemical constituents or components, for the crops they buy and may pay a premium price for crops with certain characteristics.
A farmer who does not independently analyze his crop is unable to negotiate a premium price from a buyer as the characteristics of his crop are unknown. Therefore, many farmers now perform independent analyses of their crops to ascertain the characteristics thereof. This independent analysis allows a farmer to bargain for a premium price on a crop of unusual quality or to meet the requirements of a specific buyer.
When crop quality is substantially uniform throughout a given plot, a farmer may simply analyze a few random specimens to determine a representative quality for the crop as a whole, however this situation is rare and errors are usually introduced through the use of this simple method When crop characteristics may vary or a more accurate representation is desired, a farmer may analyze a quantity of samples taken at regular intervals throughout the harvested crop. Various known methods exist for analyzing representative samples taken at various intervals. Other methods use tagging devices during harvesting to mark samples and correlate the samples with their location in the field.
Even more accurate methods exist which may perform a substantially continuous analysis of the crop as it is being harvested. Some of these sensors are capable of measuring crop characteristics at two second intervals. These substantially continuous analysis methods typically utilize on-board devices on the harvesting equipment to determine crop characteristics. These methods may also be coordinated with location information so that crop characteristics may be correlated with crop location. These methods often use an optical or spectral analysis technique to determine crop characteristics. Other techniques may also be used.
This type of real-time crop analysis allows a farmer to determine crop quality and other characteristics while in the field and to negotiate with a buyer for a premium price when crop characteristics allow. Real-time crop analysis also allows a farmer to determine the location to which a crop will be sent as the crop is being harvested thereby eliminating the need for storage or the need for a broker. Many transportation costs and storage costs may be eliminated and profits lost to middlemen may be recovered or redistributed.
Many of the sensors used for real-time and other crop analysis methods employ infrared, near-infrared (NIR) or other optical or spectrometric methods to determine crop characteristics. These devices range from hand-held, portable devices to devices mounted in harvesting or storage equipment. For real-time analysis methods, the sensor is typically installed on the harvesting machine at a location where it can analyze the harvested crop as it passes to an on-board storage container.
These optical and spectroscopic sensors are extremely sensitive and can very accurately determine crop characteristics, however, they must be properly calibrated to achieve this accuracy. Calibration is typically performed annually. A plurality of samples are evaluated in a laboratory and sensor calibration parameters are produced. These parameters are then embodied in software or hardware such as ROM or other devices and manually transported to each sensor for updating of the calibration parameters on each device.
Calibration can be a time consuming process as new parameters are disseminated to myriad farmers in remote areas. It can also be a confusing or deceptive process if calibration parameters are not standardized, at least for a specific region, crop variety or regional crop variety. When calibration parameters are not universally applied, sensor output will vary from sensor to sensor and farmer to farmer making sensor data unreliable and potentially deceptive.
The present invention relates to systems, methods and apparatus for calibrating a plurality of agricultural sensors so that sensor output can be verified and standardized. These methods generally comprise a laboratory which can analyze crops and generate sensor calibration data so that sensors will accurately reflect the true characteristics of a crop. Chemometric methods are typically applied to generate calibration data. Generally, a large number of samples with varying characteristics will produce a more robust chemometric model that will be more accurate over a wider variation in crop characteristics. Therefore, collection of a large number of varied samples from areas with differing environmental factors is preferred. Typically, these samples will be crop specific and calibration data will need to be generated for each type and variety of crop.
Farmers participating in a given calibration data program may be required to provide a number of samples from their crops. Once these are collected for a number of farmers the samples may be analyzed and chemometric or other methods may be applied to generate sensor calibration data.
This calibration data must then be transferred to each sensor to ensure accurate sensor readings. Known methods for transferring calibration data have required the replacement of hardware cards containing memory and logic devices which carry the complex calibration data. These methods were time-consuming and expensive and often required the work of a skilled field technician to install the cards or chips. The time, materials and cost involved in recalibration often precludes recalibrating at prudent intervals making sensor measurement less accurate and reliable. These known methods also involve opening the sensor apparatus and exposing the sensitive electronics to a dirty and hostile environment thereby risking damage and undue wear. This exposure can actually reduce reliability as electronic components become exposed to dirt and moisture and become more likely to fail prematurely.
The methods and apparatus of the present invention may utilize a wireless link between a calibration data provider and the actual sensor machinery. The calibration data provider may be an independent service provider, a broker or other entity who arranges for sample analysis and calibration data generation. This provider may then broadcast the calibration data using wireless communications methods thereby eliminating the logistical problems associated with distribution of modified calibration hardware. Encryption and security protocols may be used to ensure privacy.
Typically, in the systems of the present invention, a farmer will have a wireless communications device in connection with sensors on the harvesting machinery. This communications device will receive the calibration data and use that data to configure the sensors connected thereto. Once this calibration configuration takes place, the sensors may be used until the calibration data is updated. Calibration updates may take place annually or over some other interval.
As more samples are analyzed in the laboratory, the chemometric model or other parameters may change. When these changes become significant, an update may be issued and farmers will be notified of the change so that they may recalibrate their sensors. Alternatively, the methods of the present invention may automatically update calibration data as needed by sending a signal to a communications and computing device connected to each sensor which in turn updates calibration data for the sensors.
Once calibrated, the harvesting or other sensor-equipped machinery may operate with accuracy and reliability. For sensors and equipment used for real-time evaluation of crops as they are harvested, crop characteristics may be communicated back to an electronic market, broker or others as the crop is being harvested. In this manner, the farmer may take full advantage of the real-time evaluation by selling and directly transporting his crop to buyers thereby eliminating middlemen and storage costs. However, despite the technological advantages of some systems of the present invention, some buyers may be wary of the reliability of the data provided from the farmer.
A prudent buyer must be assured that the information received from the farmer is accurate, correct and reliable. Sensor calibration data may be modified by an unscrupulous user to inaccurately reflect a higher crop quality or more desirable crop characteristic. A user may also unwittingly have received corrupted data for calibration. Whatever the reason, the calibration data used in the sensor may be verified by transmitting the calibration data, or representation of the calibration data, to the buyer from the sensor device used to supply the accompanying crop characteristic data. A buyer or other party may also receive calibration data or a representation thereof directly from the calibration data provider. When both data representations have been received, a party may compare the two to verify that the sensor was transmitting accurate and reliable data. In this manner, a buyer or other party may be sure that the quality or characteristic represented in the crop data accurately represents the actual crop being purchased.
An independent party may also operate a verification service which compares and authenticates crop characteristic data. Likewise, a calibration service provider or other organization may provide crop data authentication services to enhance market security and confidence.
To accomplish these verification and authentication methods, crop characteristic data must be related to the sensor calibration data. This may be accomplished in many ways. In some embodiments, it may be accomplished by having the sensor and associated communications and computing devices transmit crop characteristic data that is tagged with or otherwise related to the sensor calibration data in use at the time the crop characteristic data was measured. These related data transmissions can be verified at the receiving parties"" computer by comparison with calibration data which is independently sent to the receiving parties. Calibration data may also be related to crop characteristic data by time stamping the calibration data and transmitting the time stamped calibration data at regular intervals so that third parties may verify that the correct calibration data is being used during the period in which they are monitoring crop characteristics.
Another method used in embodiments of the present invention uses location data obtained from GPS or other location sensors to correlate the location of the sensor with regionally limited calibration data. A particular sensor will be calibrated for use with a specific crop variety which is typically grown in a particular region. If location data indicates that the sensor is being used outside a region where that crop is grown, the crop characteristic data may be tagged as inaccurate or the recipient of the data may be alerted to the dubious nature of the data.
Another embodiment of these data verification methods comprises a sensor unit with controlled calibration parameter access. Access to and manipulation of the calibration data is controlled by password access or other security precautions such that the calibration data cannot be manipulated without the proper password or other security measure. In this way, the calibration data may be uploaded to the sensor unit from a verification service with controlled access to the unit. Other parties will not have access to the data so tampering will be eliminated and the calibration data will remain undisturbed during the harvest season. When needed, new calibration data may be transmitted to the sensor unit from the verification service or some other party with exclusive access. The verification service or other designated party may update the calibration data periodically during the harvest season or access the calibration data to verify that tampering has not occurred.
Accordingly, it is an object of some embodiments of the present invention to disseminate sensor calibration data in an efficient and coordinated manner.
It is another object of some embodiments of the present invention to improve the reliability of real-time sensor data.
It is still another object of some embodiments of the present invention to improve the accuracy of real-time sensor data.
It is yet another object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide apparatus, systems and methods for verifying crop characteristics and associated data.
These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.